Somewhere in a cell in Sector 3 prison
Jason awoke groaning. “What the hell happened! I did not remember drinking so much for a long time”. His eyes focusing, he cannot recognize the place. He lays on a simple bed in a bare white room with a flat screen and a singular door. That singularity triggers some memory. He is in a cell. Flashes begin to come back, the late departure, the curfew, running along the pursuit in the maintenance corridor to reach his flat and then suddenly a security drone in front of him hovering over a bridge. The quick fight following by a pain in his back then darkness. He has been caught.
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A few seconds later in a cubicle of the infamous Judge building, Mitchell is selecting his next case of the day. “It will be a quick work” he thinks while perusing the file. “Open procedure for case X23B12” he says to its console. The display split between the file and a camera view of a cell door with a haggard man which seems to have awoken a few seconds before.
“Good morning, Mr. Jason Corks, I am judge Mitchell in charge of your case this very morning.”
Without a pause he continues “You have been caught in maintenance corridor past the curfew hours which as you certainly know is a major infraction. After your catch it has been determined that you have used an artisanal EMP bomb AND an artisanal Taser shield. Do you have anything to say before I proceed with the judgment? “
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On the other end the man seems to awaken then hesitantly answer: “Sorry Judge. I-I was caught in extra work and had to get home late. You can contact my supervisor; it is definitively a bad misunderstanding, and he will confirm it. There should having been a problem in the investigation, there is no way I could have such technology. We will then close this unfortunate event so you can process the fine and I can return to work.”
After a brief confirmation of the file, Mitchell answers “Sorry Mr. Corks but I don’t think it will be possible. As of today, you file indicates that you have been fired for misconduct and thief of illegal technologies for your level this very morning and so are currently unemployed. I will now proceed to judgment”.
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On the other sides Jason face successively shows stupefaction, then dread. Without his supervisor backup there is no way he will get out of this mess.
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The judge unaware of Jason continues his speak: “As shown by the inquiry, your recent thefts and being a zeta citizen, we cannot afford resources to rehabilitate low level people with so many problems. Hereby I declare the standard procedure of death with rehabilitation of your corpse to …”. Judge Mitchel suddenly stops his declaration as a warning popup suddenly appears. He opens the message and begins to carefully read it.
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Jason is devastated but the sudden stop revives him. What’s happening? Did his supervisor suddenly change his decision? No, the guy did not care. So, what’s happening? That’s so much nerve wracking.